You Belong With Me
by Find.My.Mind
Summary: The words flowed so passionately; I almost thought he hadn’t really said this. That I had accidentally fallen asleep and all of this was a cruel dream of my imagination, oh, how I would hate myself. Shane/OC. A song-fiction to 'You Belong With Me'.
1. Your Girlfriend

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: I've been working on this for quite a while now, and I hope it pays off. I've split the song up by lyrics and I'm not sure how many chapters it will be, but not very long. Most chapters will be a few song lines long. I know there is another fiction out with this title, but I hope you find this different.

Reviews are welcomed and constructive comments as well.

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**You're on the phone with your girlfriend, She's upset**_

"Did you get the popcorn?" I asked, crashing into the sofa and folding my long legs under me. In my hand was a king-size package of apple-flavored Sour Straws, my guilty pleasure in the candy category.

Shane padded into the family room, copying my gesture with much more agility, while also hugging a bowl the size of my head full of salty and buttery goodness. "No, I decided to leave it in the microwave."

Our sarcastic humor was only one of the many traits we shared. I made a face at him while nibbling on the end of my sugarcoated straw. "Ooh, Shane's got jokes."

He refuted with an equally crazy composure, and I just laughed and rolled my eyes. "Start the movie already, would you?"

He obliged and the opening credits of _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ began, the eerie theme music echoing through my house. Yes, we were required to watch this classic. Shane and I had been best friends since kindergarten and Tuesday Movie Night was a tradition.

"Oh no, little Harry! Jump, jump out the window into Ron's old car! Don't forget your owl, silly Harry," I laughed, creating my own random commentary like I did to every movie Shane and I watched together.

Shane glared at me, but I could see the humor deep in his chocolate eyes. "I thought you liked this movie – must you mock it?"

I leaned in crinkling my nose in thought, "Umm, yes," I replied obviously, "This is like my favorite part."

Shane rolled his eyes, knowing full well that I was just doing this to get him to laugh, and while it was working now, I knew that it would fade all too quickly. As if the thought were taboo, _her_ ring tone muted the television.

He scrambled to retrieve the silver cell phone from his pocket, forgetting all about our conversation and me. "Hey, Emily."

I frowned, my chest throbbing as he ignored me. "Grace, can you please turn it down?"

I looked up at him, anger boiling. He'd already returned to his precious girlfriend and seeing how girlfriend of a month always trumps best friend of thirteen years I was now alone. I obediently turned off the movie, my happy mood deflating with his every word.

I fingered a loose thread on the knee of Shane's sweatpants that I borrowed a long time ago. I missed my old best friend, the best friend I'd stupidly fallen for, and the best friend I could do anything with anytime and not have to worry about his jealous girlfriend.

But that Shane was gone.

I tried to tune out Shane's futile banter with what sounded like an upset Emily, but her high-pitched screeches were hard to flout. I sighed heavily, taking out my own scratched cell phone that had been dropped way too many times in flourish to try and catch Shane's attention. No use_. _

_**She's going off about something that you said**_

"No, babe, that's not what I meant. Really –" Shane stood from the couch, the warmth of his body startlingly absent. My options were thin concerning him. Either I got over my obsession, and stayed his silent best friend while he pranced behind Emily's demands, or I risked our friendship by confessing my true feelings.

Hmm, one sounded marginally easier. I don't think I could function without Shane, even if I wasn't always number one in his life.

"No Em, I'm not doing anything today. We can hang out." I gaped at him behind his back, planting my feet on the floor. He'd never threatened this tradition before; did I mean nothing to him?

He closed his phone with a relieved sigh, turning to face my angered form. Crossing my arms over my aqua robot graphic tee, I glared at the floor, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Look, Grace, I'm really sorry, but Emily wants me to go shopping with her and…" He faded lamely, fetching his jacket from the hook in the hall.

I stormed after him, my temper following. "Shane, this is our tradition. Can't she wait until tomorrow afternoon?"

"I know, Gracie, but it's Emily and…" That always seemed to be his excuse. 'It's Emily and…' as if that explained absolutely everything. He was the only person I ever let call me 'Gracie' and suddenly I was pushing away the sound of it.

I tried to stay calm, but it was difficult when he kept bringing her up. "And what, Shane? I thought at least this meant something to you! We never talk anymore!"

There was an internal fight in his alluring eyes, his hand already poised above the door handle. "I'm sorry, Grace. I'll call you later, I promise."

He was pleading with me now and I had to avoid his eyes; I knew I would give in if I stared for too long. Shane had some sort of influential power over me, certainly a detriment to my argument. He opened the door, a begging look in my direction.

"You know what – fine, Shane. You go. Maybe I'll call Nate and invite him over, or maybe Jasper, you know, that guy from homeroom? I'm sure either of them would love to sit around and watch movies with me." I suppose that was hitting a sore spot.

Shane has always been protective of me. The fact that I'm in love with him isn't the only reason I've never had a boyfriend that lasted for more than a week. He was always jealous of the time I spent alone with other guys, even his brothers. He claimed they 'weren't good enough for me' or ' too old for me' or 'too young for me', the list went on and on. I used to think it was flattering, but recently it was downright unfair.

His eyes darkened, though still apologetic, and I slammed the door in his angelic face so I wouldn't have to see his expression. I crossed my arms roughly over my heart that felt so vulnerable it could tear, and slid down the front door.


	2. Jealousy and Other Thoughts

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: Hmm. I was hoping to get some reviews, but all right. I really hope you all tell me what you think. My confidence seriously needs some boosting. I'll keep posting this, but I hope you all feed some input.

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**She doesn't get your humor like I do**_

I regretted our riff before I even heard him pull out of the driveway, but I couldn't humble my pride enough to go after him. So one thing was apparent: we both had tempers.

There were a million more things we shared in common. Sometimes we were too alike, which was why we had our little fights. But we always got over them, because we were like family.

I couldn't fathom the current obsession with Emily Martin, queen of plastic blondes, which he'd taken on. She was stupid beyond belief, something I thought annoyed Shane. Her favorite activity was split between gossiping mercilessly and shopping with her daddy's credit card, two things I despised. Her blond hair was long and tied with extensions, countering my cropped brown layers just past my shoulders and her eyes were bright with blue-tinted contacts while mine were a simple, boring brown.

All in all, you could she was my polar opposite. This only verified my pointless feelings. If Shane was interested in someone like _her_ he could never like me.

I stood from my crumpled position on the floor, feeling pathetic for my pity-party. I couldn't just sit around wasting time praying for something that would never happened, that just wasn't me. Just because Emily freaked out every time Shane used sarcasm around her or he even brought up—

No, no, I couldn't think about them – either of them. I shook my head, the brown curls twinkling under the fancy light above my head in my peripheral. I flipped open the phone that I still gripped in my coiled fingers.

I scrolled down to Nate's number, even though I had no intention of calling him when I used that against Shane. Often I say things I don't mean when I'm clashing with Shane, but it's the same on his part.

Nate is the only person I've ever spoken to about my feelings for Shane, though I'm pretty sure he told Jason. Nate is the closest thing I have to a brother, disregarding Shane completely, and Jason's right there with him. In this past month when I lost my best friend, they helped me stand straight when I felt like curling into a ball.

"Hey, Nate?" I heard my voice crack before I realized my eyes were wet. Stupid over-active tear ducts.

I heard a long sigh and I'm sure Nate already had the gist of the situation. "Hey Grace, what'd my idiot brother do this time?"

I took a deep breath before I answered. I hated crying in front of people and even though Nate couldn't see me, I felt self-conscious and a little silly. "Oh, you know, just left during our infamous movie night."

"You're kidding." Nate groaned.

"I wish I were," My sigh seemed very reoccurring lately, like a broken record I just couldn't fix.

Nate was quiet for a second, but soon it was Gray brother number three to the rescue. "Hey, put on some jeans, let's go to a movie. I think you just need to get out of the house for a little while. I'll pick you up in ten minutes."

"Okay," I admitted reluctantly. I really didn't feel like changing, or doing anything other than sleeping, but if this could help, why not? "Hey, Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." Usually that was enough. I didn't have to explain anything, because he knew by now. He knew how grateful I was to have a rock in my life to hold to when things got crazy.

I could hear the sad smile in his tone when he answered, "No problem, sis."

As soon as I got off the phone I trudged upstairs and pulled on some dark skinny jeans from my messy room floor, exactly like Nate told me to. The whole ride to the movie theater was filled with Nate trying to cheer me up, with no avail.

It was working all the way up to the ticket line, when my forceful laughter was interrupted by the nasally voice I loved to loathe.

"Shaney, look it's Gretchen, that one girl you used to be friends with!"

I turned, faking a smile, to see none other than the people I was attempting to avoid. Shane cleared his throat awkwardly, masking his shell-shocked features. "Uh, babe, it's Grace and…Nate?"

I could tell that he was astounded that I'd actually called Nate, but let him be. However, I feared for Nate the way Shane growled his name and glared at him. "Nate. What are you doing here?"

Emily giggled in such a way that gave me a crazy urge to punch her in the face. "Shaney," I hated when she called him that. It was if she were plunging a dagger right through my heart. "Isn't it obvious – they're dating."

Before Nate or I could even protest, Shane had. "No, they're not."

The intensity of his voice and the glare at innocent Nate was more like he was saying 'they better not be'. I glanced up at Nate wearily, folding my arms protectively over my chest. Shane may have thought he was defending me, but he was only hurting me.

"Relax, Shane, we're just seeing a movie together. I figured since you ditched Grace tonight she needed to do something with her time," Nate sneered, laying an arm around my shoulders in a brotherly manner. Nate may have been a couple years younger than us, but he was an inch or so taller than myself, almost equally as tall as Shane, and he could glare just as hard.

I watched Shane's eyes flicker between the arm draped across my shoulders and my faltering face. For one split-second there was an emotion in his divine eyes that I didn't recognize. It was sad, heartbreaking, and made my heart flutter more erratically than the normal movement he initiated.

Shane erased the instant of susceptibility, and pulled on Emily's hand that I noticed was suspiciously far away from him. With one fleeting and jealous glare he turned on his heel. "Let's go."

Nate followed him with his eyes, though I looked away as soon as possible. Nate swung me around to face him, and peered at the look concealed by my hair. "Are you okay, Grace?"

I blinked backed the moisture that had sprung into my eyes prior to looking up. I loathed the way I became vulnerable without my consent. I wanted to be a strong individual, but I always seemed to require someone to lean on. My voice was only a whisper, despite my efforts. "Yeah, fine."

_**I'm in my room, its a typical Tuesday night**_

After the movie that I couldn't even recall the title of, Nate drove me home. He left me with a hug and a reassuring smile, but it wasn't much closure from the events of the night. I thanked him once again and fixated my eyes on my sneakers until I reached the door.

I shed my coat and hung it in the hall, a painful reminder of whose coat was here previously. "Grace, is that you?"

I ran a hand through my short layers of hair, following the sound of my mother's voice to the kitchen. "Yeah, Mom, it's me."

"Oh, good, I was beginning to worry. You really should leave a note next time." I slumped into a kitchen chair massaging my temples.

"Sorry, Mom," I replied dryly, "I was just at the movies with Nate."

"Nate? What about Shane?" I was never one to share personal feelings or secrets with my mother – we weren't that close – but even she knew that I spent a larger margin of my time with Shane than I did Nate. Heck, a monkey could see that, it wasn't saying much.

I sighed, finally seeing my mother where she was chopping cheese slices and placing them decoratively on a glass platter. If there was one thing my mother loved to do it was decorate, she rearranged the furniture at least twice a month, but I had to admit it was uncommon for her to randomly assemble cheese designs.

"Uh, Mom? What are you doing?"

She glanced up at me from her elaborate hobby. "Don't you remember? The Gray's are coming over tomorrow night for dinner and games."

Great…. "Oh, right."

I jumped from the chair, stretching in the process. I opened our white refrigerator and retrieved one last can of Sunkist from the very back, hidden behind a carton of eggs. It was me and Shane's favorite pop by far. Ugh, why did he keep showing up in my thoughts?

"Do you have homework?" Mom called me back to reality – I was scolding myself.

"Uh, I finished it earlier." It was true. I committed myself to completing my homework before Shane came over. Typically I had to assist him in a couple of assignments too, but that was no problem. Oh, not again…. "You know, I'm just going to go to my room."

"Not with that orange soda you're not," My mom warned. Dang, she was good.

I escaped the kitchen, calling over my shoulder, "Um, what orange soda?"

When I got to my room I locked myself in, not long after collapsing into my bed. I'm certain my mom told me to clean my room today, but then again I was holding orange soda, when did I ever listen to her?

The trials of tonight were giving me a killer headache, not to mention the thought of tomorrow at school and the dinner. And to top it all off every other thought was about Shane, or something concerning him. The fact I established was that I missed Shane Gray. I'd have to apologize tomorrow.

Crap. There he was again.


	3. Apologies Pay

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: Huge thanks to solitareclay07 and A-Million-Miles-Too-Close for reviewing. It does mean a lot and I appreciate you taking the initiative. I apologize for the wait. My show choir had to prepare for a state qualifying competition that I had a solo in so most of my energy was put into that, but we made state and now this next weekend we're going. I'll try to put out another chapter before then, but it's all up in the air. Plus, I've got guy issues so, I'm in a pretty sucky mood at the moment.

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like  
**_

I came to the conclusion that I really despised that Emily. Being the weird psychotic person I am instead of acting on that decision, I blasted the kind of music she hates and of course, I love and pretended my wall was her face and glared at it. I made sure that my iHome was only the perfect level of volume so that it drowned out my thoughts, but my mother couldn't hear it.

I let the song _That's What You Get_ by Paramore lull me to sleep. Okay, so it wasn't exactly a lullaby, but it was one of me and Shane's all time favorite songs and I dreamed of 'the good old days' when we spent nearly every second of every day together that night, and it was pure bliss.

_**And she'll never know your story like I do**_

All day at school I couldn't find a chance to catch Shane alone and it infuriated me. It could have just been me, but it seemed like every time I was close to him Emily would latch her pink nails of death to his arm and drag him somewhere else.

My jealously ratio was heightened that day. I had frequent impulses to tear her apart limb by limb, as I would run into her making out with him in the middle of the hallway. I would try to conceal the shadow of heartbreak on my face, but Shane would call after me.

A large portion of me thought that if he ever followed me, and stopped me, that I would tell him everything, top to bottom. But he never did. She always halted him.

The situation was beyond unfair. There were several minutes of the day spent cursing the fact that God had made life bitterly unjust. If this were equal, Shane and I would be together perfectly and Emily would be living in Guatemala, or some place very far away.

Nate drove me home, seeing he also picked me up in the morning. It used to always be that Shane would drive us both, but then Jason allowed Nate to borrow his car so Shane could drive Emily and that was the end of that. Emily didn't want Shane driving me to school anymore, so he stopped. Can anyone say whipped?

Mom made me clean the house before the Gray's arrived that night, mostly because she knew that if she asked me to help her cook we would be ordering take-out tonight. Cooking is not one of my strong points. I managed to bake cookies once – but only with Shane's expertise. Believe it or not, he's actually pretty good. Other than that I stick to the previously frozen foods that take no preparation excluding turning on the over and setting the timer, both of which at some point I have forgotten to do.

I ultimately had to confess; I was excited for tonight. I would get a chance to apologize to Shane and things could get semi-okay again. The only problem would be if—

"Oh, of course we have room for one more! Welcome, Emily."

Oh my gosh. You have got to be kidding me.

_**  
But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts  
**_

I silently groan as I turn the corner. Does this chick have to ruin everything? I mean really, what's it to her if I have a best friend? Stupid selfish—

"Hey Gretle," She greeted dryly as I faced her.

"It's Grace," I corrected, trying not to snip. Okay, so I wasn't trying too hard.

"Whatever," She inspected her flawless nail beds as I realized why she was acting so rude. Shane wasn't with her. "Look, Shane couldn't come get me so I'm supposed to meet him here. Just don't talk to me, and we'll be fine."

I dug my nail into my fist to keep it from lashing out on her straight blonde highlights. Control, control… "Fine."

She folded her arms and pursed her impeccably glossed lips, taking in my appearance. I was wearing an old band shirt from a concert that – you guessed it – Shane and I went to together, and worn skinny jeans with a hole in the knee. I didn't look bad, but certainly not up to her standards. I didn't think I had to impress.

She scoffed, whipping her blonde locks in a cackle. "Nice pants, buy them at a thrift store?"

I curled with anger, but I wasn't one to back down. I rolled my eyes, observing her outfit – short, mini skirt that practically displayed _everything_ and a hot pink tube top and jacket. Seriously it was thirty frickin' degrees outside, somebody should get her some pants.

I smirked, an idea for an insult forming. "Aw, thanks! Hey, nice thong, _Victoria's Secret_? Oh, wait, I don't thing I'm supposed to see that…"

She instantly pulled down the ends of her skirt, anxiously checking for slip-ups. I busted laughing, and she returned it with a glare once she realized I'd been kidding. Ah, that's great. There's nothing like watching a hoe flip out.

Not seconds later the door opened, the Gray's entering, just before Emily manufactured some pathetic retort or insult. "Hey, Grace! Long time no see!"

Jason was first in, enveloping me in the best of big brother hugs. It had been awhile. He went to college in the city and the last time I saw him was the last time Shane invited me over – a month ago. "Ditto, bro! Hey that totally rhymed!"

We laughed at my retarded-ness and both Shane and Nate joined us. Mrs. and Mr. Gray had already followed my parents into the dining room and were setting for dinner. It felt amazing to see Shane again, the way his eyes were looking at me, glowing, set shivers down my spine.

"Hey, can I talk to you? Alone?" It honestly took me a second to recover and realize he was speaking to me. I nodded mutely and Emily went to protest as he led me by the hand to another room.

Expertly, either Jason or Nate stole her attention by bringing up something pointless to distract. I sent them a wordless thank you as Shane's hand gripped mine in warmth. I missed the feeling of his calloused fingers, somehow still soft even with all the songs on his guitars that he played.

"Shane, I need to speak to you too," I tugged on his hand lightly, stopping as we stepped into the living room. He turned to me, perfect features wrinkled in confusion.

My stomach flipped uncharacteristically, and my faced flushed as I noticed our hands were still entangled. I released it instantly, but his fingers clung for a second longer. Maybe that was just my imagination.

"Well, okay. Ladies first then," he said, in an honest gentleman's manner.

I breathed deeply, eyes studying my green Converse intently. "Shane, I want to apologize for the way I acted. Emily is your girlfriend and you do need to spend time with her. I freaked and I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"

I finally looked up into his incredulous eyes and grinning mouth. "_You're_ apologizing? I'm the one who needs to apologize! I completely abandoned you on our tradition!" I was alarmingly aware of how he stepped closer to me and took my hands again. "I felt terrible and then, when I saw you and Nate at the theater, I just assumed you hated me. I couldn't even sleep I felt so guilty."

It took me a while to catch my breath from the sincerity of his speech. I'd never heard him speak in this way before and my heart was dangerously close to bursting from my chest. I could feel the permanent smile implant on my face. "How about this: I'll forgive you, if you forgive me?"

Shane grinned, a mile wide, sending my heart into tremors. If that wasn't enough he pulled me into him, pressing our bodies close again in one of our old hugs. My forehead found his shoulder instinctively and his face nestled into my hair.

His arms wound around my waist making me feel incredibly safe and small, and impulsively I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. A pleasant shiver crawled down my spine as he breathed in my ear, "I missed you, Grace."

Again, I was rendered speechless for the moment following, but I recuperated and replied. "I missed you too, Shane. You have no idea," I added more quietly.

I half-expected Emily to barge in on us and slap me, but instead we broke apart as my mother called for dinner from the dining room. Reluctantly I pulled away, but doing so, Shane pecked my on the crown of my head, so swiftly and softly I wasn't sure if he really did.

"One last thing," he had that pleading look in his eyes that I knew so well. The one where he'd be asking me for something I wouldn't want to do but I would anyway, because he'd beg if necessary. "Will you come to the football game with Nate and I tomorrow night? Emily's head cheerleader and she wants me to come and…"

I knew it would end like that. Always does. I exhaled as he pouted. "Please?"

_**She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers**_

"Who in their right mind would make a football game outside in November?" I shivered again, hugging my two jackets closer to my body. I was a naturally cold person, I used to ask Shane to sit on my feet when we watched TV because they were always cold no matter if I wore fuzzy thermal socks or not. This was just ridiculous.

Shane chuckled, scooting closer to me, I noticed. Of course I'd given in to this ordeal and while Shane was happy that someone beside his brother was there to watch it with him, he felt the guilt for my hypothermia. "Where do you suggest they have the football games?"

My teeth chattered again, the wind picking up and ruffling my coffee-colored waves, the color Shane had described them one late night when we were both in serious need of caffeine. "I do not know! I'm too cold to think right now."

Nate joined in our laughter from my right where he sat in a scarf and gloves. He was smart. I was the one who just brought a heavy sweatshirt and jacket, foolishly thinking I was going to be fine. It wouldn't be _that _cold. The worst part was that Emily was prancing around in her inch-long cheerleading skirt without a shudder.

"Here, I brought extra because I figured you'd forget," Shane extended a thick blanket to me with an amused expression. I suddenly felt guilty for complaining so much, and I my face got hotter.

I pushed it away, trying to keep my friend-only status in check. "No, really, I didn't mean to…"

Shane rolled his eyes and flew the navy blanket around my shoulders, hugging it tight for a second, before Emily flicked her malicious eyes towards us. She didn't want me there, which only made me happier to be there, not that I'd admit that to anyone.

"Oh my gosh, Shane. You are my favorite person in the world right now," I said before I realized, and he laughed it off good-naturedly as I blushed.

When Emily wasn't watching it would be like old times again, Nate, Shane, and I making jokes about stupid cheerleaders and/or players. I was elated when Shane would rub my back each time I shivered. Emily could wink and strut as she much wanted from her head cheerleader position at the top of the pyramid, I would stay here in the bleachers with my two best guys.


	4. Cherish the Morning

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: Thanks for he review. I'm happy I got this up before this weekend. How fun does being at a high school on a Saturday at 4 a.m. sound to you? Yeah. Just my luck, huh? We're staying at a hotel on Saturday night, not Friday. Hmm…illogical? Definitely. Well, wish me luck. I'm a grouch in the morning… so you get a chapter where Grace is not exactly a happy camper in the morning.

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**Dreaming bout the day when you'll wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time  
**_

That night I had the best dream I could ever recall. It was Shane I, together, with no complications. Would it defy so many rules that he just open his eyes and see me as something more than just his best friend? But I had to face the reality: that situation was itself, just a dream.

I had to question that if Emily was nonexistent would Shane and I have a chance? Would we admit the feelings I knew at least I, was harboring? Ugh, why did teenage love have to be so frustrating!

_**If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along so why can't you see?  
You belong with me  
You belong with me**_

I could picture myself explaining all of this to Shane, pouring out my heart to him and telling him my deepest desires. I knew the boy like the back of my hand! I'd been waiting for him since kindergarten and I'm the only person on this planet who will ever truly understand Shane's crazy side that I mesh with. I haven't seen it so much anymore.

The truth was staring at us blatantly. I belonged with him and he belonged with me. There was no two ways around it. So simple, right? _  
_

_**Walking the streets with you in your worn out jeans  
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be  
**_

I awoke Saturday morning – too early for my appreciation – to the sound of my blaring cell phone. It wasn't something I expected. I fumbled around blindly and groggily before opening it, upside down at first.

"Hello?" This person had some nerve calling me at 8 a.m. They should know I needed my sleep or I was not very happy.

"Morning, sunshine!" Ugh, who else would it be? There was one thing that Shane and I were in separate spectrums over – morning hours. Shane was a nice, happy, energetic morning person without much of an influence, I, uh, wasn't.

I buried my head back into my bed sheets, burrowing in. "Shane Joseph Gray, why are you calling me at this wretched hour of the morning?"

I could hear the laughter in his voice. Even though I didn't savor it in this context it was relieving to hear it after his lack-luster times with Emily. "Oh, because I can. And because I want you to take a walk with me."

"Well, maybe I just want to sleep. And you know what – you can't give me that pouty-face and make me go because you're not here!" I proudly snuggled deeper into my warm bed.

He cackled deviously, "Oh, Gracie, you underestimate me. I wouldn't be so sure about that."

I crinkled my brow in bewilderment. I couldn't think straight in the morning, let alone decipher a riddle in a sense. "What are you talking about?"

There wasn't any noise coming through my receiver anymore, so I closed it and tossed it aside. However, as I was drifting off again a whispered voice scared me out of my mind. "Open your eyes."

I obliged and was met with Shane's faultless smile sauntering from less than four inches from my face. I nearly screamed in shock and embarrassment, though I whacked him with a pillow to cover up the latter. "Shane Joseph, what are you doing?"

I pried myself up, rubbing my eyes that were somehow free of sleep but tingling in surprise. He smirked at me, joining me on the bed. "Oh, so we're using middle names now? Let's see, Grace Alyson, I'm here waking you up so you can take a walk with me. Oh, and bringing coffee."

My head snapped up, coffee was a definite must have. "Ooh, you should have started with that! Gimme, gimme!"

I reached out wildly like a little child sending Shane into fits of sidesplitting laughter. Apparently, to not tired people, tired people were very funny in the morning. Well, maybe that was just Shane and I. When I stood and began to roam the room in a valiant search for liquid energy, he swiftly guarded my dresser where I could see too cups of steaming coffee.

"Ah, ah, ah, not yet. Get dressed first, then you can have some. Deal?" I nodded pitifully and he handed me a stack of clothes and a pair of shoes, spinning me into the bathroom before I could even get a good look at them.

"Hurry up, and don't fall asleep anywhere! I'll wait here." I rolled my eyes, dropping the clothes and beginning to change out of my gym shorts and tank with my eyes half-closed. I didn't waste a second thought on what Shane handed me. This was so like the old Shane.

I put on a pair of Shane's navy blue sweat pants that I recognized from my stash of his clothes that I called mine. "Hey, who let you in my house anyway?"

"Your Mom," Shane answered matter-of-factly from the other side of the door as I removed my shirt.

I yawned involuntarily, glancing down again at the clothes at my feet to find another clean white tank top. "Shane, did you mean to put this tank top in here?"

"Yeah. You always like to wear them under your shirts, right?" I smiled down at it.

"Right." I had a horde of tank tops that I wore under my tee shirts and sweatshirt, almost everything I wore. It flattered me that he remembered and if it was possible I smiled while I brushed my teeth and washed my face.

Sliding my purity ring back on my left ring finger I frowned at my contacts case. I already had sensitive eyes and I counted on being awake while I put them in, not groggy and decaffeinated. I opened the bottom drawer and rifled through it to find my glasses case.

The frames were black and a little thick, stylish and not too hideous. I knew Shane wouldn't judge me and I didn't really care what morning people around our walk thought, so I kept my glasses on. My hair was unreasonable, and I was settled on that. I shook some spray through it and then fetched a bright green sweatshirt from the floor.

I looked at it curiously as I opened the door and shrugged it on. I readjusted my glasses before gazing up at Shane's smiling face. I held out the bright fabric that was slightly big on my misshapen frame, and looked quizzically.

"Is this mine?"

Shane broke out of whatever smiling trace he'd been in and glanced at the sweatshirt I was examining. He shook his head, smiling again.

"No, I brought it. You don't have many warm sweatshirts," He replied so simply, it seemed logical enough. I shrugged, breezing past him back to my room for coffee.

I grinned, "Okay, where's my reward?"

Sadly, he draped an arm around my waist before my fingers even laced the sacred drink. Shane's hearty laugh was good to hear as he pulled me into him, too close for even best friends. My cheeks were turning crimson even as he spoke.

"Not so fast, Gracie, you're not wearing any shoes." Consecutively we looked down at my black painted toenails on my feet and I wiggled my toes. I pulled away from him, laughing and gliding towards the bathroom.

"Shoes, shoes. I'm going." I shrugged on socks while I balanced on the rim of the bathtub. Shane and awkward situations seemed to come hand and hand. I could make them un-awkward, but there would need to be a line drawn.

I tied them as fast as possible, jumping up and returning to where my cup of coffee sat waiting. "Can I please have it now?"

I stuck out my pout, and held out my hand. He could resist my begging, unlike the vice-versa, but I really needed this stuff if he even wanted to leave the house. I think he understood this.

"All right, go for it." He happily passed me the coffee cup and I gulped from it graciously. I only stopped after a good ten seconds, when I noticed Shane appraising me with a peculiar look.

I smiled shyly, wiping my mouth. "What?"

"You look cute in your glasses, I never noticed it before." If I wasn't red already, I certainly was painted now. I bowed my head and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, but suddenly he was in front of me, doing the same to my hair. The expression on his face was foreign and peculiar.

I laughed softly, looking up at him. "It seems like we had the same idea this morning…"

Indeed, when I finally embraced his appearance it was almost identical to mine. Black-rimmed glasses, comfortable clothes, and his hair wavy for the first time in a long while, he looked like I used to know him, before Emily declared she like his hair better straight. Really, with Nate and Jason's hair both being so curly, he was the brother that evened them out with waves. When I looked in retrospect, we could be related judging by our careless and comfortable appearances.

"Of course we did," Shane smiled, dropping his hands in respect, though I wish he wouldn't have. "Now, first things first: breakfast."

Together we walked the deserted streets to a café I'd never taken notice to before. It was so picturesque: Shane with his wavy hair, glasses, and worn and holey skinny jeans, and me in my best friend's sweats, messy hair, and glasses. It felt right and I couldn't help thinking this was how it should be forever.

_**Laughing on the park bench thinking to myself  
Hey, isn't this easy?  
**_

"I told you to get the apple one, they're always better," I declared biting into my glazed fruit pastry. Shane frowned at his mixed-fruit concoction that had tasted as foul as it sounded. He pitched it into the waste bin as we seated ourselves at a bench in the city park.

He exhaled ornately, "Yes, you're right. Can I have a bite of yours, please?"

Shane felt obligated to protrude his lower lip, appearing the essence of adorable, but I would have shared anyway. I smiled and leaned in to give him a bite of the breakfast treat. I caught the apple that fell in my napkin, laughing at him trying to maneuver it into his mouth.

I was astounded at how easy we flowed together. No matter who was put between us, or space, or time, we could still bond as easily as we could as kids. That was just the way we worked, endless topics to discuss and laugh over.

I took my own sweet time finishing, partially to annoy Shane to no end. Shane was one of the most impatient people I knew, but he would wait. He finally broke and chucked the last morsel of breakfast into the bin, simultaneously dragging me in circles around the park.


	5. Lies Hurt Just As Much as the Truth

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: Well, my choir made third in my state, so that's a huge plus. Though, sadly, because we made finals we didn't get to the hotel until eleven-thirty and our lights out was at midnight. So no post, but I got back and here you are. This chapter seemed really dramatic to me so you have tell me if it's too cheesy or unrealistic. Haha, I still have an eight-paragraph essay to write that's due tomorrow. Wish me luck.

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**  
And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town  
I haven't seen it in awhile, since she brought you down  
**_

"You want to hear something serious?" I stated lowly, as our conversation became more intense and personal. He'd taken my hand and it occurred to my conscious that any passerby would think we were dating. Even though it was technically wrong, I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

"Of course," Shane answered effortlessly. The reflecting sun only let him starve me of breath for much longer periods.

I cleared my throat, not sure of why or how I was saying this. "I miss times like this. I miss your smile."

He didn't frown, but his face was more of question. "What do you mean?"

It was like I'd spoken my thoughts without my mind's consent. Suddenly I wanted to take back my last sentence and run away. "Oh, um, nothing. Forget it."

Shane turned to me, stopping my tracks by grabbing my left wrist. "No, Gracie, what do you mean by that?"

I sighed, failing to ignore the tingles spreading up my arm. Avoiding eye contact was my only chance of escape. "Shane… I am just saying that I haven't seen you smile like that in a really long time."

My voice was soft and I couldn't bring myself to gauge his reaction. If he was upset I wasn't sure what I would do. "How long is a long time?"

Shane's voice was much quieter too. I felt him release my wrist dejectedly and when I looked into him, he was staring into the distance over my shoulder. I cleared my throat, knowing full well that he might not like what I was saying, but I convinced myself that he needed to hear it. "A month is a long time. She's brought you down, Shane. You're not the same guy I used to know."

_**You say you're fine I know you better than that  
Hey, whatcha doing with a girl like that?  
**_

He was detaching himself, retreating away from me. It nearly broke my heart to watch him step back, shove his hands deep into his pockets, and glare at something behind me stoically. "I don't want to talk about this."

"But Shane, she's changing you in the worst way! All I'm saying is that because of Emily, you're not Shane anymore!" I knew I was spilling too much and he was hurting deeper by the second, but I couldn't stop. If I tore down the walls maybe I could win back Shane.

"Gracie, I said I don't want to talk about this. I'm fine." Shane couldn't look me in the eye. I knew him too well and saw straight through that lie. I suppose he sensed that too, because he was off walking within seconds leaving me to catch his tracks.

I wasn't feeling blameworthy, as I expected, but as if I'd made some sort of progress. Even though I loved Shane and I dreamed about being with him forever, I'd sacrifice my own heart to have him as a friend. Protecting my best friend was more important to me than losing love.

The rest of the day was awkward, in a terrible way. I tried to forget the schism we'd had; yet the time was only half as fun. I felt like part of Shane was missing, his attention lost, my chest searing in guilt.

_**  
She wears high heels, I wear sneakers  
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers  
**_

The following week was just more salt to the wound as Emily and Shane wrapped tighter than ever before. However, contrary to any actions, I caught Shane acknowledging me more frequently. I even managed a smile out of him once, forced and I initiated it, but still, it counted as something to me.

It was clear that Emily was very unhappy with his lack of interest in her annoying voice, new haircut, or expensive flavor of lip-gloss. Actually, I'd dare say she was mad about the circumstances. I had to find that out the hard way.

In my worthy defense, I was as innocent as ever when she bombarded me. It was after P.E. on Thursday, donned then my least favorite day. I didn't know what snapped her, but she was on some rant when she approached me outside the gymnasium.

"Hey Gabby, we need to talk," Again, my name was lost to her. The only signal that she was even speaking to me was the sharp pain of her thrusting my elbow to the wall and digging her freshly manicured pink nails into my forearm.

I thrashed away from her wicked touch and seeing as I could, towered over her petite little frame. Before I could even suggest she step off, her recently coated plump lips were moving in a snotty curl.

"I am sick if your crafty little games, Geek. You better leave my boyfriend alone or I swear I will make your life a living hell." I couldn't believe she was threatening me. Did she honestly feel like her relationship was in danger by me? She'd dug her own grave.

I took a deep breath, preventing my anger from unleashing and punching her in her perfect made-up face. "I'm his best friend. I don't have any games."

Emily scoffed, so typical for her popped hip and four-inch heels. "Yeah, right. I can see right through you, freak. I know you want Shane, but newsflash: he's mine and he'll always be mine. Get over it before I make you. Stay away from Shane, forever."

Just the words and proposition were killing me. My life would be nothing but tears without Shane. "You can't tell me to stay away from Shane! I'll do what I want and Shane can speak to anyone he wants to, Emily."

There was a spilt-second where she broke into a evil smirk, but then it was gone, replaced by fake sobs that were startlingly realistic. "Shaney!"

She sobbed further, no tears leaking, until Shane, summoned from any end of the school, rushed around the corner. He immediately ran to her side, desperation for her to stop pathetically urgent.

"Em, what's wrong what happened?" I was still stunned at the abrupt change of events and even more wordless when she lifted a shaky finger in my direction.

"Grace was threatening me," So now she gets my name right… "She said that if I didn't break up with you she'd lie to you and tell you that I cheat on you!"

It was only getting more ridiculous as her story evolved. He listened intently as I gaped in silence.

Shane turned to me for the first time, "Is this true, Grace?"

"What?! Absolutely not! Shane, you have to believe me, _she _was threatening _me_! You know me, I would never do something like that!" I couldn't wrap my mind around how he could even consider this. I don't gossip, to the best of my ability, nor to I stick my mouth into others affairs. It hurt, but I was to experience a much greater pain due to him.

Her cries drowned out any of my truth, and all of his attention. "She's lying to you right there. She's just jealous all of our time together that you don't spend with her!"

That was all he needed. I _had_ said that to him, in simpler, less revealing words. I could see the conflict and blame in his eyes, stabbing me in the heart.

"I can't believe you would do this, Grace. I thought I knew you! You threatened her because I didn't spend enough time with you? Wow, way to be selfish." The hurt in his voice was hidden behind the accusations, but they brought salty tears to my eyes nonetheless. I couldn't let them fall; I would only disappoint myself.

"Shane, I… I would never…" I rapidly pent the raw reaction in and lock my expression with a cold and repressive stare. No satisfaction would I allow either of them, for Emily would only spread the rumors like wildfire. "Look, I'm not going to stand here and let her fake-cry and lie to you, let you criticize me for something I couldn't fathom doing, or let one of the only people I trusted hurt me like this. Goodbye Shane."

I held all emotion in, fleeing from this scene at the fastest walk I'd ever made. I reached my room, all the way at my house before releasing the first of many tears flowing from my eyes. The silent sobs racked my body like no other pain I'd experienced in my life. It was just like a million ton weight had been repeatedly blown onto my heart.

I never thought losing all traces of the boy I loved could injure me so much.


	6. Self Control At the Loss

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: Hey. Thanks for the reviews. This is only one lyric long, but it's a lot of text. I'm afraid this one is way overdramatic too. I don't know. I'm so tired right now. Oh, I posted the link to a banner I made for this story on my profile. I made it on MyBannerMaker one night when I was bored, so it's not very good. But I had fun with so I thought someone might appreciate it. Read on and enjoy.

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**  
**__**Dreaming bout the day when you'll wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time  
**_

I wasn't home for five minutes before my phone was vibrating. Shane. The true part of me yearned to speak to him, just to hear the comfort of my voice to cease my tears. But I refrained and waited for the buzzing to stop.

Seconds later, it buzzed again. This time it was Nate, Shane had probably gone home. I breathed heavily, forcing myself into short gasps of breath. I opened the phone, but I didn't say anything.

"Grace? Grace, what happened?" Nate sounded concerned and I wondered what he thought, how much he knew. "Shane just came home and—"

It was then I knew he heard my crying and transferred into protective brother mode. My body found my bed, laying flat, facing the ceiling. Nate's voice became quiet, soothing, in the stressful situation. "Grace…what did he do?"

I appreciated the fact that he supported me, even if it was over his own brother. Nate had watched the past month and conceived from the plot that I was not in the wrong, nor had I been this time. I found my voice, scratchy and strained. "Ask him."

Nate rustled on the other end, doing just as I suggested for once. He took the phone with him, failing to muffle the conversation. There were several repeated loud noises crackling through the receiver.

"Shane! SHANE!" Nate yelled, even myself holding the phone away from my ear. I gathered the echoing noises were coming from Shane because they stopped as Nate drew his attention. "Grace is on the phone, crying. Are you to blame?"

Another loud blow echoed with a crunch and it dawned on me that Shane was punching something, the wall. I barely made out his words, and I should have known full well not to listen in, but I did anyway. "Am I to blame?!" Shane was frighteningly hysterical. "She's the one who threatened my girlfriend for the time I spend with her! Is that her on the phone?! Yeah, I'm the only one she trusts, right!"

The crying began again before I even knew it had halted. I tried to tell myself that he was only angry; he didn't mean what he was saying, but it was difficult to defend someone so easy to be mad at. "Shane Joseph Gray! Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?! Grace, threatening anyone? I dare you to tell me that comes even close to believable! She cares about you so she's civil to Emily, more than I can be anymore! I can't sit by and let you hurt her again!"

I knew Shane, and all these accusations would just increase his fury. I was honestly scared for Nate at that moment, also any solid object in the room. Shane's voice sent me into another round of dry gags. "If I keep hurting her Nate, then why don't you two just forget about me! Just ditch me and run off together like you wanted to all along. Wouldn't that just make everything better!"

I nearly fainted at his latest whim. I had no idea he'd been harboring all of this jealousy. When Shane got mad, all emotion came out. Even the stupid unprecedented thoughts like Nate and I being anything more than siblings. He had no control.

"Oh my gosh, Shane! Are you crazy!? Grace is like my _sister_; I would never look at her as more than that. This can't be what this is about!" Nate insisted, striving to keep as calm and level headed as possible, but temperament was a family trait among Gray' s. Nate wasn't set off as easily as Shane, but he was well on his way.

There was another swift bang from the line, freezing me stiff in a concealed posture. "Don't lie to me, Nate! Just get away from me!"

Nate should have left then, immediately. I'd never, ever, heard Shane this mad – and over me? "Shane, you're delusional! Stop acting this way; Grace can hear you!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME, NOW!" Shane had hit his last straw and in sheer impulse I cowered away from the phone itself. Nate persisted once more, though, in a bold, controlled vice.

An ear splitting roar followed by a nasty thud and exhale of breath, crackled through my end. I gasped, sensing the episode even before the specifics. It sounded as though the cell phone had been dropped and scrambling and rustling damaged the receiver.

Nate's strained vocals came through seconds later, in a tone I never heard from him often. "I'll be at your house in ten."

The line fell dead. Gruffly, I hurled it away from me, listening to the crunch against the dry wall. I pressed my knees tighter to my chest, confining my body into itself. Looking on all of this seemed even worse than experiencing because I had to remember how times used to be and wonder how everything could get so twisted. It just made me want to mope and cry further, the fear that things may never be the same.

I hadn't realized any time had passed when I heard the door to my house click. Mom and Dad were away, still at work I thought, but nothing was straight in my mind. Nate entered, ten minutes on the dot, and opened my door softly.

Strangely he covered his face, hiding and shielding something from me.

"Are you okay?" Nate questioned tenderly, and that's when he looked up. Now, I only usually gasp audibly in truly heart racing, blood curling, scary situations, but here I heard myself loud and clear. Nate smiled weakly, more of a cringe, disclosing a fresh purple and black shadowed eye accompanying a bleeding horizontal gash beneath it.

Instantly I jumped up from my cowering position to assist him, pushing back my selfish sobs and falling into sister compassion. As I stepped closer I pretended not to notice the redness of tears in his eyes as well. "I think I should ask you that. Did Shane…"

Nate nodded solemnly. I swallowed thickly, confused at the complication of the predicament. I was scared now more for Shane. What would make him snap like this, on his own brother? Nate cleared his throat, extracting me from my tangled thoughts. "I don't mean to make excuses, but Shane has always been this way. When he's confused or sad, or any other emotion that isn't his par, he gets mad. It was just so bad this time that it got physical and I was in the line of fire."

Quietly I led him to the bathroom. As much as I wanted to cry and embrace him, I didn't want to hurt him and he was in quite a state himself. My mind was breaking down the more I tried to act normal. I pushed him down to the covered toilet seat and fumbled through a drawer for a washcloth.

I felt Nate's eyes follow me as I wreaked havoc over the pristine bathroom counter. My eyes were leaking again and somehow my depth perception must have been screwed because the faucet kept moving away from me. My hands trembled and fumbled blindly for a moment until Nate captured me in his arms and I unleashed.

And somehow we mourned together, neither overbearing the other, but both holding on tightly. When things settled into just stifled sniffs and rubbing eyes, we started to decipher everything. "N-Nate, w-what hap-happened?"

I hiccupped and pushed my hair back, though still nestled into Nate's thin body. "Well, I guess you heard most of the conversation," I nodded mutely, "but uh, I went too far and Shane lost control. He...He punched me in the eye. I could see in his face that he meant to stop before he started, but you know Shane as well as I do, he's not so good at stopping anything."

I laughed hollowly and short, a sound harsh even to my own ears. The silence urged Nate to proceed. "The thing that gets me though is…just the look on his face… He was so different than I've ever seen him before. Grace, I was…I was _scared of him_."

Nate's voice cracked again, breaking and whispering the last words. I clenched his middle securely; rubbing his back in a way I only hoped was consoling. The truth was I needed someone to shelter me, to assure me that everything was going to be all right. But the only person that could do that was the one person screwing it all up.

"I'm sorry, Nate. It's my fault you got hurt. If I had just…" Nate released, peering at my face critically. His eyes were atypically deep and inquisitive and his hand lifted the chin I didn't realize I'd buried.

"Stop, Grace. I don't want to ever hear you blaming yourself for Shane's confusion, stupidity, and lack of self-control, okay? This is his problem and you're just caught in the middle," Nate gently swiped a fallen tear from my cheek and nestled me into his shoulder. Even as he patted down my hair I couldn't grasp how Shane could suggest a romance. Nate was more like a sibling than ever.

My dry heaves had finally ceased, the pain now settling as a weight in my chest. I pulled back from Nate, wiping my eyes somewhat self-consciously. The last few days had been packed so full with emotion I doubted I could cry much more without cracking.

Only when my eyes were dry did I even glimpse at Nate. His eye was still a sickly gray and the line of blood had run and dried. As if I hadn't hade enough mood swings, my brain was suddenly chagrinned for selfishness.

Mechanically I griped for the towel I had so numbly discarded. "Oh, I'm sorry. I completely forgot about your eye. You probably have a headache now too."

Nate's solemn face didn't reflect any sour feelings as I doused the towel with cool water. I suspected he was replaying the incidences of the afternoon in vivid recollection. I'd learned that with Nate it was best to allow him to wallow in his coveted silences than try to butt into his repairs. Shane was different in that way – the lack of restraint earlier further proof – in that he necessitated sharing his affairs. If he bottled anything up for long he exploded in wrath, again, like minutes ago.

"This might hurt," I barely whispered, our conversation once so deep diminishing in thought. Nate merely blinked and creased his brow as I stroked his wound. The vision of Shane in such rage, inflicting pain to his best friend and confidante, hollowed me to the core. I couldn't imagine being in Nate's position, too shocked to retaliate or block him – I feared if I did.

Gently and as delicately as viable, I cleaned the burgundy gash, my brow furrowing as my mind separated the facts amidst the perplexity. If Shane punched him… "Nate…how did he even do this?"

Nate gnawed his lip, blinking his grave eyes. I knew that face, he was debating emitting this information and key facet. "Uh, his left fist was closer to me at the time."

The lines of my frown deepened as I discerned the calculations. We each wore purity rings on our left ring fingers, the slice of Nate's skin being torn by the diamond cross incrusted into Shane's familiar symbol. Rather ironic in such religious purity. Once again I knotted myself in my own sanctum of thought, praying for this tribulation.

"Shane cares for you, Grace," Nate purely murmured, so low I struggled to hear him.

I cleared my throat, shuffling to the hamper to toss the stained cloth. "Pardon?"

Still no vast depict of expression crossed his face, although he repeated himself without impatience. "I said, that Shane cares for you. You know that, don't you?"

I sighed, leaning back against the wall and rubbing my swollen eyes. It felt like forever since I'd smiled, though it had only been hours. "I have to talk to him."

Nate confirmed, "You have to talk to him."


	7. Final Farewell

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: Thanks for the reviews everyone. I know; I never seem to catch many reviews. So I hope that if you guys find this interesting you'll tell anyone you know on this site, or not on this site. My choir got third, if I haven't already mentioned that. Not sure. I'm still so tired. Haha, but spring break next week! Whoo. I get to…stay home…and watch my demon siblings. Yay…

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**  
**_ _**Standing by, waiting at your back door  
All this time how could you not know, baby?  
You belong with me  
You belong with me  
**_

Nate had gone home only after we'd browsed ideas on speaking to Shane, iced his eye, and made solid confirmation that Shane was not home and I was left to stare at my phone, in which only the battery had fallen out of, leaving it fully operational. The feeling was strange, to be torn between my conscious insisting to talk this out and my selfish pride telling me to ignore him entirely.

I was determined to speak with him, but somehow no matter how deathly I stared at my phone it would not dial the numbers for me. Eventually, I brought myself to do what I could with my hair and pulled on my shoes.

Considering the walk to the Grey's was a long one, I took the car, exceeding the speed limit much farther than normal. I was so anxious to see him, to reach his house, but as the front door came into view, I chickened out. Typical.

I had treaded his front steps countless times, but suddenly this seemed silly and pointless. I didn't know what to say, let alone how to say it. Driving on, I circled around the block and parked on the street behind his house.

Just a few deep breaths, I could do this. All I needed was to see him, and then everything would be okay. I could explain to him the friendship with Nate, and maybe he would apologize for the accusations.

I got as far as the back door with that intention, before hesitating for the last time. The numerous possibilities filled my mind, all the terrible things that could go wrong outweighing the single advantage. However, I couldn't stop myself from impulsively hammering swiftly on the door.

God must have a sense of humor, that, or enjoys roller coasters, because he was sure sending me on one today. Shell-shocked was never the reaction I expected from myself when I opened the door, but its what I got. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything, but I certainly was blown away when Shane himself opened the door, breathless and shirtless.

The shirtless concept only stole me for a second, I recovered, the combination of his appearance – tousled hair, flushed skin, frazzled demeanor – confused me. He was turned away as he opened the door, leaving adequate time to assemble my expression only for it to be enraged as _she_ came around the corner, more energized than Shane by far.

Oh. It all came together, like puzzle pieces in my mind and splinters in my heart.

There was that split-second of awkwardness as the three of us exchanged faces. They were equally as stunned to see me as I to them and it left Shane guilty and Emily smug. My blood literally curled at the sight and I stormed away from the pair before owing them the satisfaction of the tears that welled in my eyes.

I didn't run, I didn't trust myself not to fall, but I walked heftily. I held a trembling hand to my mouth fearing vomit or sobs would emit without my permission. I could feel Shane behind me, running to catch me.

"Grace! Wait! Gracie, stop, please!" I didn't halt, not a chance, until he swooped in front of me and paused my route with force. Even then, I tried breaking past his locked arms fronting my shoulders with no avail. It didn't help that my offense was weakened at his touch and massaging fingertips.

I couldn't bear look him in the eye, but I suppose he knew me well enough to know I was crying. I glanced up, though still avoiding eye contact. "Why, Shane? I was just coming so we could talk this out, but I— No, I just can't be here—This is—"

I repeatedly interrupted myself, all calm composure out the window. Did he always have to do this? Was I scum to him? Apparently.

"No, she came over unexpected. I _do_ want to speak to you, I need to apologize!"

I sniffed, really wishing I could materialize into my car right about now. Better yet, my room. "Well, that's great Shane. But…I _can't_ keep doing this."

My sentence choked in my mouth, blinking back tears. I finally took in Shane's pained and pleading face, heart-wrenching eyes, and nearly crashed to the ground. He must have seen me wobbling, because he reached out to me in such a manner that I almost caved. Almost.

"No, no, no. Gracie, please don't cry. I never want to make you cry," The sincerity of his intonation was so boggling that I would have given up just looking at him, but instead I batted away his comforting hands and shied away. This had to be easier in the long run; the pain would be temporary.

"Gracie…" He sounded like a neglected child, although lacing his whimper was that of realization, regret, guilt, and abandonment – so many side effects I'd chained into one required rejection. If I got through this with even a shard of a heart it would be a miracle.

As though the stitching of my heart was being ripped, I reached for my jacket and pulled it tighter against the November winds. My mind was already calculating escape routes to run, to begin the journey of life without Shane.

"No, Shane. Please don't. We can move on, you can be with Emily and you won't have to worry about hurting me anymore – out of sight out of mind, right?" I smiled wryly; of course it was only a tear-streaked grimace in result. "Things will be better this way."

I dared one glimpse at him that evolved into a gaze. I wanted to sit down before making this decision, plan and map out all possible methods of pros and cons, but there wasn't time. There was only me, Shane, and Emily standing by and cutting the strings, and Shane's eyes knew this. He _knew_ that this situation was much more than he'd ever faced. He might have even known that I cared for him a little more than a best friend should, but at that point I didn't care.

"Grace…what are you saying?" I knew full well that not only Shane needed the clarification. Any second thoughts – logical, proper thoughts – hadn't caught up with my train yet.

I let my eyes drop, from his face, to his shoes, to the grass, anywhere from those captivating eyes. He had to understand that this would be better for the both of us – the three of us. "Shane, I'm saying that…with Emily here, you don't need me anymore." I wished that wasn't true. "And I don't need…_this_." Yes, I did. "What I have to say is goodbye."

His sneakers appeared in my line of vision, which my tangled mind concluded meant he moved closer to me. I watched his hand tentatively extend to my face. I almost flinched away, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt him anymore. His flawless touch sprung shivers to my skin and the tears in my eyes flowed in misery of our mess.

"I can only beg you, Gracie. Please don't say goodbye. We can work this out… I… I need you…" I will admit it. I was a fraction of a measurement close to falling into him, confessing everything, then Emily could move to China or something and we'd live happily ever after. Too bad this was reality and Emily had already fixated her cold, heartless glare on me, ready to pounce.

I shook my head, though I could never wish to disagree with that statement that he'd spoke. "Shane… If the time comes that you do truly need me," My eyes flashed to his earnest, and Emily's vile, "then you'll know where you belong."

I left him with those lingering words, unleashing my cheek from his tracing fingers and fleeing to my car. Gracefully, I stumbled to the street, cursing my namesake. My eyes were so wet and endlessly running I couldn't even see straight, not to mention drive. I got as far as the driver's seat before chancing a look back. If this was the last time I would see him for a while, I wanted to make sure I got enough of his perfection to last a minute.

He'd followed me a few steps, watching me in an emotion I couldn't describe. Emily had advanced on him, draping herself across him and trying to get his attention. But Shane stared at me and if I were in the right light I would have seen the flash of his tear.

Then, I drove away.

I mustered up the courage and dried my face enough to see straight. But, again, I only made it halfway before I had to stop. My thoughts were reeling behind me and once they slowed and calculated I felt an overwhelming guilt and loneliness. I had to question of this was right, or if Shane would ever speak to me again because of it.

I'd find out soon.


	8. Always Here

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: I'm in a bit of a better mood now thanks to all of the reviews I got. It really doesn't matter how many I get, I just love that you're all enjoying this. Ah! I made people cry; I'm taking that as a compliment. I promise this is getting better. This installment is super short though, because I kind of want to drap I'm now on my SpRiNg BrEaK. Ye-yuh! That means more of this story for you. I will probably be finishing this within the week, just so you know. Now I must go summarize Romeo and Juliet in power-point form. Wish me luck.

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**  
Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night  
**_

It was hard to even get up in the morning after that day. But I amazed myself by functioning for nearly two weeks, Shane-free. Mind you, I was literally an empty shell, walking and talking with no thought process or purpose, but I was conscious and that was better than the first day.

I still spoke to Nate, my only friend, and Jason on the occasions that I called him. From news via Nate, that drove Shane up the wall. They'd long since reconciled, but Nate told me he saw Shane darken every time Nate came to see me.

He tried to explain that Shane was just as miserable as I was, just as cold-hearted and hollowed as I'd made myself. But I wouldn't have it.

I never said Nate was lying – I knew he never would – but I didn't want another reason to hate Shane. If this could all be fixed by Shane leaving Emily and by me digging up enough bravery to lay my whole life on the line, then, which was to make the first step?

It was another Tuesday when this dramatic front we'd established came to its climax. I was in my room and it was midnight. The past weeks had forced me into insomnia, along with curling into a lifeless ball and blanking any intelligible thought.

That was why while I wasted away in moping, I hardly heard the puttering car pull into the back drive. The thudding footfalls tore my revere and heightened my curiosity as the person, I assumed, advanced up the siding of my house and to my window.

Only one person ever knew of that route, the one ironically would come here. His face filled the window, sadder than I'd ever recalled, and one hand lifted to tap the glass.

"Grace…" I didn't hesitate to rise and let him in, though it might have been the sound of his subdued voice forming my name drawing me to the passage.

Not the moment both feet were planted firmly onto my bedroom floor Shane had enveloped me inside his embrace. I didn't have the time to resist or refute, not that I had the will power to. Shane smelled too good and the shock waves and security flashing through me couldn't be ignored.

"Shane, I…" I attempted in a quivering breath, only to be cut short by his hot breath in my ear.

"C-Can we please…just…forget everything for a second? I know I'll be apologizing for eternity and you probably don't even want me here. But I'm going to be selfish and stay because I need a best friend right now. No, actually, I just need you right now like I will forever, and I've been stupid and—"

"Shane," His every word made it harder to resist, so I didn't. He finally looked to me, those piercing eyes I knew so well hiding an emotion that alerted me. "I'm here. I'll always be right here."


	9. Reliving the Dream

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: Because that last one was so short, I'm giving you another really fast. I'm in the midst of folding lots of laundry, which pretty much sucks if none of you have to do it. I just got back from a three-hour volleyball practice so I'm also beat. Blah. Well I hope you enjoy Shane's soft side. It's in full force.

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**  
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry**_

We stood that way for what seemed an eternity, though not long enough when he pulled back a measure to look at me. His expression worried me, only because it was unreadable and foreign. I'd always understood Shane and now I was simply confused.

My voice came out as a whisper as my hand found his smooth cheek. "Shane, are you all right?"

It seemed like such a trivial question in this situation, I thought, even as it left my lips. But I was so baffled at why he was even here that I didn't care. I needed to know that he would be okay.

"I… Grace, I don't know…" He blinked several times, watery eyes flashing to me cautiously. Now I knew why this was unfamiliar. Something had brought _the_ Shane Gray to the verge of tears, a rarity among rarities in his book and there were only a handful of times he'd let me, his best friend, see him this weak. Shane only cried when he was purely mad at himself, another thing that puzzled me.

On instinct, I smiled, it was sadly, but he shared it. "Shane, you can cry in front of me if you want to. I'm not going to make fun of you."

Again, he smiled as a few beautiful tears trailed his cheeks. He even laughed a little as he wiped them away. I loved this Shane especially. The one who wasn't afraid to be himself, let his guard down, and the one who didn't have to always be the ultra-indestructible Shane, this was the real Shane I'd known my entire life.

"Come here," I lead him by the hand to my bed where he automatically laid down, as if obeying my thoughts. He rested his head on my lap, the only trace of tears remained in the form of strikingly bloodshot eyes.

We calmed in the silence for a few seconds as I toyed with his soft locks of ebony. Just my casual touch was drooping his eyelids, but he was fighting sleep defiantly. "Shane, why did you come here?"

He chuckled bleakly, "Because I'm the most idiotic, stupidest, moronic, jerk ever to walk this planet."

I didn't laugh though. It bothered me when Shane's typically high level of self-esteem spiraled into insults on himself. I brushed back a feathery strand from his forehead while he shamefully glared at the ceiling. "That's not true. And it didn't answer my question."

He sighed, a sound previously unheard of in Shane. Now I'd gotten so used to that troubled exhale. "Something…happened."

So much effort was put into those words alone I wondered if he could stay on this topic long enough to transfer the event. "Shane, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

His eyes shot to mine in determination. "No. I have to. I'm not leaving here until you know all of this."

I never objected.

_**  
I know your favorite songs and you tell me about your dreams  
**_

He returned to focusing on the wall, biding his nerve to spit all this out, I presumed. Whatever this was, it was huge and Shane needed guts to spill. So far it had brought him to tears, driven him into uncertainty, and rendered him speechless.

Silently I reached to the end of my bed and reclaimed my iHome remote. Although I could barely make out the screen I knew how to find the song by heart. It was one of my most played.

Shane looked to me; a smile, while not gracing his lips, fell into his eyes. "I love this song."

'I Only See You' by Benton Paul flooded through the speakers, a song that Shane had declared one of his all time favorites not too long ago. Of course I agreed; it was a great song. I beamed on the inside, softly outside, gazing down at his perfection. "I know."

"Gracie, I missed you," He spoke gently, those orbs of milky chocolate fixating on me. "I can't believe you're forgiving me for everything I've done."

I swept the hair away from his face, testing the boundaries by running my fingertips over his relaxed forehead. "You should believe it. I'll always forgive you, Shane."

He beamed, cause and effect: my stomach clenching with butterflies. Sometimes I speculated if he knew that he did that, for he smirked in approval after the glowing smile. "You were wrong, you know."

I frowned, confused, as his grin subdued into a thoughtful expression. "What do you mean?"

Abruptly, he straightened to a sitting position on my left. I watched him, his every movement in purpose, and a drive immersing him. He was looking to me, those eyes penetrating in a fashion I wish I could pinpoint. Shane's voice was somehow hoarse when he finally uttered his explanation. "I do need you. You said I didn't, but I do. I always do, and will, and you…you were wrong…"

The sentence dropped, unfinished, as another thought provoked him. He bowed his head into his hands, leaning onto his knees for support while I transcribed blankly. Shane said that…he needed me?

I deduced that was correct in a sense. He was _here_, after all, of all places. Something terrible had happened, something he'd yet to share, but he came to me. So all right, I was wrong. I needed Shane, and he needed me, but in what way? Could he string me along as a rock he ran to when life became unbearable, or would I, did I, represent anything deeper?

"I had a dream the other night." Shane startled me, fragmenting the silence of thought with a simple sentence. I blinked, taking the queue for his elaboration. "You were in it, and I was too… Just us. We were… We were at the playground, that old one down by the baseball fields that we always used to go to. Do you remember?"

I nodded, unsure of the relativity. However, I pressed in blindly into the elucidation. "Of course I do."

"Good," He replied shortly, corners of the mouth twitching north before plunging into his tangent. "Well, we were there together and we were on those swings you used to love," He broke into a smile, just at the memory of the dream. Pointedly, because that had actually happened when we used to return to that playground, before Emily, who thought it immature. "And it was just like old times. We were laughing and goofing off and being…the dorks we are. But then someone took you away from me…"

The smile cascaded, so tragically that I desperately prayed I could drag it back home to his cheeks. Shane dropped the lock on my eyes and grew intensely interested with the ring on his finger. "The person… They looked like, a combination of people. Nate, that guy from last year, that jerk that liked you in freshman year, and even myself…" His thick brow creased in adorable reflection, eyes darkening in the manner I recognized. "That puzzled me at first, but I figured it out. It represented my jealously over the years. The emotion I never could quite control and harness.

"But even as I noticed the battle with myself, they pulled you away. Then the scene changed, you know like dreams do, and Emily was near me. She was looking at me, in a way I felt I should return, but I couldn't bear it. Merely the thought of not having you hurt me. Does that…does that make any sense to you?"

The sudden offer of input caught me off guard. I suddenly felt so very slow, lagging behind his spiraling thoughts. What did all this mean, to him, to me? Did this mean he felt something for me other than—No, no I couldn't go there. Not until there was palpable confirmation.

Clearly it was my turn to fumble with my ring while he gazed at me, impenetrable. This was my escape routine; never get too close while he was attached to other strings. "Shane… Even if it did make sense to me, we can't do anything about it. You have Emily."

He cringed visibly at the name. Somehow my tongue speaking the predicament made it sound worse even on my ears. "No, no, she's out of this picture."

I made to question, opening my mouth, but he halted me, most indisputably sensing my retaliation.

"I've got some more explaining to do."


	10. Absolute Fact

**Title: **_You Belong With Me_

**Author's Note**: Sorry about the long wait for this. **This is the last chapter. **This is my spring break, but my right now my mom is unexpectedly in the hospital. I've tried writing, but I'm in one of those slumps where everything I write sounds bad or the worst, nothing comes onto paper. Anyway, I was thinking of writing a sort of sequel to this. Another short story, and a song-fic, but maybe make Nate the main character instead. I don't know. Let me know if any of you would find that interesting to read.

**Song: **_"You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift_

_**  
**__**I think I know where you belong. I think I know it's with me.**_

"Yes. Yes, you do." I communicated calmly, although my mind was traveling far ahead of the time and place. I imagined the truth to his statement. If Emily was gone than the only thing left to do was—

Shane sighed, such of a troubled teenager. That was something I'd prayed we'd never become, but maybe God was shoving us through this drama to show us something. To prove we could emerge in one piece. "Before I came here, I was at Emily's house."

I'd decided to keep quiet until this monologue had reach and entirety. I'd only understand at the end anyway. "I… I felt the obligation as a boyfriend to share with her my dream. I know that sounds awfully stupid, but she had the right to know what my feelings were too. I was afraid that it would make her hate you more than she already does, but God was telling me that I had to."

I nodded along, eager to hear the outcome and allowing him to grasp that I would do the same. "She looked angry at first, but then she insisted…it wasn't true. She…she tried making moves on me…"

I must have looked as clueless as I felt, for he quickly clarified, embarrassed. "Emily tried having sex with me."

I might have gasped, not sure. Instantly my fingers flew to his left finger – his purity ring – although we were already grasping hands. "Shane – you didn't, did you!?"

He exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief, "No! Of course I didn't. You think I would break my faith and promise to God, myself, and my family over some girl I don't even like?"

"W-Well, n-no," I sputtered, feeling quite foolish for reacting so severely and jealously. I didn't say half the vile things I was thinking towards her, but then my brain caught up and unclouded, then re-clouded. "Wait, you don't like Emily? Shane, I'm so confused right now. I hate being confused."

He truly smiled, my goal, and distracted me by grazing my palm with the tips of his fingers. "I know you do. Just listen and I'll explain.

"At that point I was still mixed about what I was feeling and… I'm mortified to say she got pretty far before I realized what was really going on." His eyes flickered to me while I tried to hide my nausea at the image of Emily… He tightened his grip on my hand in security. "At that point I basically pushed her off and summed up all respect not to hit that girl. I told her we were over and to stay away from you and me forever. I was so ashamed of myself that by the time I got here, well…you saw me."

I referred to his broken state; a being I noticed had mended just within the last half hour or more. I couldn't track time around him. I lost it too easily.

"Grace, I came here because I know something to be an absolute fact. I've been in love with you for way too long without even knowing it. You said that when I realized I needed you I'd know where I belong. I think I know where I belong now. I think I know its with you."

The words flowed so passionately; I almost thought he hadn't really said this. That I had accidentally fallen asleep and all of this was a cruel dream of my imagination, oh, how I would hate myself.

"Gracie…please say something…" I hadn't realized I hadn't responded. He was literally pleading with me, a reminder of an earlier exchange between us. I could tell the risk of rejection was abruptly terrifying to him, something that might not have occurred.

I tuned back into reality, smiling brightly, spreading contagiously to his tanned facials. "Sorry, it's just… I've waited so long to hear that. I had to make sure I wasn't dreaming—I'm…not dreaming, am I?"

Shane grinned, stealing my breath the way he loved to. "Not unless we're having the same dream... So does this mean what I hope it means?"

I detached on of our interlocked hands to caress his silky cheek and whisper to him, "I am in love with you, Shane."

He grinned; advancing on me and sealing what little distance we'd left between us. "Thank God."

I shivered just before his lips introduced mine, due to his seductive tone and husky voice. I'd never experienced this feeling, but it was a through the roof, touching the stars, never coming down sensation that I prayed wouldn't be forgotten.

I gathered he mirrored the feeling, for he deepened the kiss considerably after only a few short seconds, syncing our mouths as one and massaging his fingers through my waves of hair tantalizingly slowly.

"You belong with me."

I couldn't have asked for anything more.

_  
**Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?  
Been here all along so why can't you see?  
You belong with me**_

Have you ever thought just maybe  
You belong with me  
You belong with me

A/N: Thanks for all the support on this fic, those of you who reviewed. I know there weren't many, but I appreciate it. Please let me know if anyone likes the idea of a sequel. It would contain Grace and Shane, but I like Nate so it would probably be centered on him. Thank you!


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